Overcoming the English Barrier

The Reno Gazette Journal reported yesterday on a Japanese student who earned a degree in psychology from the local university despite arriving in the US with virtually no English speaking ability. When Kanagawa native Kiyoshi "Teddy" Noda came to Nevada in 2000, he "could read and understand English from books but not to speak, so it was kind of useless." Noda (27) adds, "I was afraid of speaking English, but to learn psychology I had to learn English". So he enrolled at the Intensive English Language Center at the University of Nevada, Reno. Over the next four years, he earned an associate degree in applied science at a community college and enrolled in classes at UNR, where he received his bachelor’s degree earlier this month. Noda plans to return to Japan next month and work for a couple of years to earn enough money to return to the U.S. and pursue a doctorate.Lack of English couldn't keep student from psychology degree

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